Air-brake control



J. S. RASNICK AND W. S. BLEVINS.

AIR BRAKE CONTROL. APPLICATION FILED MAY 26, 192k 1,388,483. Patented Aug. 23, 1921.

mwwtoq.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH S. RASNICK, OF ST. PAUL, VIRGINIA, AND WALKER S. BLEVINS, OF KINGS- ]?ORT, TENNESSEE i AIR-BRAKE CONTROL.

1,388,483. Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Aug, 23 1921 Application field May 26, 1921.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, Josnrrr S. RAsNIoK and l/VALKER S. BLnvINs, citizens of the United States, residing at, St. Paul and Kingsport, respectively, in the counties of Wise and Sullivan, States of Virginia and Tennessee, respectively, have invented a new and useful Air-Brake Control; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates to controlling devices for air brakes and has for its object to provide means whereby the air brakes of a train will be set when any of the wheels of the train leave the rails.

A further object is to provide valves lo cated adjacent the wheel flanges and carried by pipes in communication with the air line, said valves having members adapted to engage the rail of the track when the wheel or wheels leave said track and open said valves, consequently causing the brakes of the whole train to be set.

A further object is to provide a train air line with outwardly extending branch pipes, said branch pipes terminating in flexible pipe connections with vertically disposed pipes carried by the stuffing boxes of the car trucks, said vertically disposed pipes having their lower ends inwardly extending and provided with valves disposed withln the dished portions of the wheels, and provided with operating levers extending outwardly and positioned to engage the rails when any of the wheels leave the rails, thereby causing the brakes to be set throughout the train.

A further object is to provide the downwardly extending boxing supported pipes with a weakened portion and with a horizontally disposed arm, which arm when forced into engagement with the rail causes the weakened portion to be broken or ruptured thereby allowing exhaust of air from the pipe line. Y

With the above and other objects in view the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts as hereinafter set forth, shown in the drawings, described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention may be made within the scope of what 13 Serial No. 472,678.

claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a car, showing the device applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view of a modifie-d form of rail engaging member.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates a portion of a conventional form of railway car, and 2 the air brake line for controlling the air brake, which air line and the air brake system controlled thereby is so constructed that when the pressure within the air system is lost, for instance by breakage of the air line or by opening the valve, brakes will be set.

Extending downwardly from the air line pipe 2 at a point substantially over each truck is a pipe 3, to the lower end of which pipe is secured outwardly extending pipes 4. The pipes 44; terminate in longitudinally disposed branch pipes 5, to the ends of which are secured in any suitable manner flexible pipe sections 6 which arch over the wheels 7 of the truck and are supported above said wheels by means of brackets 8. The brackets 8 hold the flexible members 6 spaced from the wheels so that said flexible members will not be damaged by contact with the wheels. The flexible members 6 are formed from rubber hose or any other flexible material and have their outer ends connected as at 9 to vertically disposed pipes 10 which are secured to the grease boxes 11 by means of straps 12. The grease boxes 11 are carried by the truck of the car and have journaled therein the bearings of the axle. It is obvious that as the body of the car rocks that the pipe sections 10 will move independently of the pipe sections 4 for the reason that the flexible pipe connections 6 will flex.

.The lower ends of the pipes 10 extend inwardly and downwardly and have their downwardly extending portions disposed within the chambers 13 of the car wheels 7, thereby so positioning the discharge ends of the pipe that they will not come into engage ment with obstructions along the road bed, and at the same time utilizing the shape of. the car wheels 7 for protecting the valves 14 which are carried by the lower ends of the pipes 10. The valves 14 comprise casings 15, in which casings are pivotally mounted on pins 16 bell crank levers 17. The arms 18 of each bell crank lever 17 extends upwardly and normally closing the air discharge pipe 19. Levers 17 are preferabl 'frictlonally held in any position 'to whici they may be moved and when in closed position as shown in Fig. 2 have their arms 18 extending outwardly from the outer faces of the wheels and substantially horizontally disposed. It will be'seen that when any of the wheels on either side of the cars of the train leaves the track, theoutwardly extending arms 18- will come into engagement with the-rail of the track and rock the bell crank with 'a cap 20 having a chamber 21 therein,

and that said cap is provided with an outwardly extending integral arm 22, which arm when forced into engagement with the rail asthewheel leaves the rail will be forced upwardly, thereby breaking the cap transversely at the reduced portion 23, consequently allowing the escape of the air and setting of the brakes throughout the train. It is to be understood that either form of air release may be used as desired. After the air has been allowed to exhaust and the brakes have been set, if it is desired to again control the brakes, valves 24 may be closed adjacent the exhausting ports 19.

The device has been shown applied to all four wheels of a truck, however, it is to be understood that any number of device may be utilized as desired, that is valves may be located adjacent one wheel or on each side of the truck or at diagonallv opposite positions. It will be seen that a device is pro vided which is simple in construction and one wherein the parts have been reduced to a minimum. It will also be seen that by providing a frangible member that after the cap 20 has been broken at 23 that danger of the valve becoming closed again will be obviated.

The invention having been set forth what is claimed as new and useful is The combination with a railroad car having an air brake pipe and sunnorted on wheels disposed on rails, of outwardly and downwardly extending pipes carried by the air line pipe, flexible connections in said outwardly and downwardly extending pipes, the lower ends of said outwardly and downwardly extending pipes being disposed within the outer chambers of the wheels, valves carried by the outwardly and downwardly extending pipes and means carried 1) the ends of the outwardly and downward v extending pipe and so constructed that when it engages the rails air from the train line pipe will be released.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOSEPH S. RASNICK.

WALKER S: BLEVINS.

Witnesses:

R. B. BOLTON, R. W. HURD. 

